


A Touch of Yellow

by Madame_Kiksters, Seele_Esser_Deutsch



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Characters are listed as they appear and not in order of screen time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, In a way, M/M, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, True Love's Kiss, With A Twist, even tho they are there!!, hunk is not that great at flying, i'm sure they would have saved you from him if they'd known v.v, keith...are you actually gonna go along with Zarkon's plans?, like... not unreasonably so at any rate, not too angsty tho, now he's too powerful, so if you were wanting a lot of hunk's family and lance's mother... i'm sorry to disappoint, swan lake AU, the Barbie one, u fool, zarkon turning him into a swan when he should have made him a chicken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-07-20 03:49:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19985608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madame_Kiksters/pseuds/Madame_Kiksters, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seele_Esser_Deutsch/pseuds/Seele_Esser_Deutsch
Summary: Who knew that following a unicorn would end with Hunk discovering he's the only person able to use an ancient magic crystal's protective powers? Not that it matters, Hunk knows his limits, and saving an entire Enchanted Forest's worth of magical creatures from a centuries-old dark fairy was not something he could pull off without getting himself killed.Unfortunately, he doesn't have the luxury to refuse if he ever wants to go home again.Alternatively:Who knew that following a unicorn into an Enchanted Forest and getting cursed would end up giving him so much more than what was taken?(Updates on Thursdays.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!
> 
> We began this fic awhile ago and have been slowly adding to and editing it. It's nearly completed sitting at 55K words at the moment, so I hope you guys don't mind the journey xD
> 
> This will follow the plot of the Barbie Swan Lake movie until a few chapters in before things... Take a Turn™.
> 
> I hope you like it!

Near the heart of the Kingdom of Merabael, nestled between a range of hills and a deep forest, sat a small village. In that village was a bakery, where a young man danced around the warm kitchen moving from counter to counter, mixing batter, pulling bread out of the oven and replacing the pan with a cookie sheet.

The bakery was run by a small family, a father and his two sons. They had moved from some distant kingdom years earlier in search of a better life. They were not disappointed, and the warm welcome they received was enough to assure the trio settled down smoothly.

The youngest son, Tsuyoshi, went by the name of Hunk in this new Kingdom. His family had decided that they should adopt another name that would allow them to easily adapt to their new society. However, at home, they called each other by their birth names.

Hunk was so lost in his chores that he didn’t notice his father had stopped by the kitchen. “Tsuyoshi, have you finished pulling the loaves out of the oven?”

Hunk startled before he set the tray in his hand near the oven. “Tama! I didn’t hear you come down, is something wrong?”

“Hardly.” his father laughed. “Just off to deliver the cake your brother made last night to Marie’s house.”

With a fond roll of his eyes Hunk turned his back and crouched down, rifling through the cupboards in search of a jar of cinnamon and mumbling, “Of course. At this rate we’re going to run out of ingredients, when’s he going to propose? We’ll cook one massive cake for the wedding and stop sending one to Marie’s every week.” He joked.

Hunk heard his father chuckle, making him raise an eyebrow, even though it wouldn’t be seen with his head still in the cabinet. “What? Was it really that funny?”

“Tsuyoshi, your brother is going to propose to her. Today.”

Hunk knocked his head on the cabinet as he tried to stand too suddenly. He hissed and rubbed at the tender spot to soothe the painful throbbing. “He didn’t say anything to me about this.”

“He only just told me this morning before he ran off with orders to bring the cake to Marie’s house at about noon time.”

Hunk gave his father a skeptical look. “You’re telling me he’s going to propose...on her lunch break?”

Hunk’s father shrugged. “What can I say, proposing is hard. I guess it’s better to do it when you have courage than to get nervous about it. I kind of admire that about your brother...my first proposal was a mortifying experience.”

“First?”

Hunk’s father rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, walking over to the elaborate cake Tatsuo had made for Marie.

“Well, let’s just say I don’t blame your mother for rejecting the guy who lost the contents of his stomach when he kneeled down to give her the ring.”

Hunk’s brain ceased to function as it tried to process this additional information. “You...you threw up on mom, and she still married you?”

“I did much better the second time around. It was really more of an accident. I had went to apologize to your mother and beg her to give me another chance. She was a lot more forgiving when I explained that I was only that nervous because she was so much better than me.”

They took a moment to bask in the memory of Hunk’s late mother before his father continued, “Hopefully someday you’ll find your special someone, as long as you don’t do what I did you’ll be just fine. Maybe you’d have more luck if you finally joined the dances at the local festivals I’ve been telling you about.”

“Tama.” Hunk whined. “I’m not that good at dancing. I’ve told you this hundreds of times.”

“Could have fooled me, with the way you move around the kitchen.”

Hunk blushed as he turned away from his father and set the cookies on to bake. “I am quite happy staying here and baking with you. Now, don’t you have a cake to deliver?”

Hunk heard his father gasp. “You’re absolutely right! Better hurry over there before your brother loses his nerve.”

They shared a chuckle imagining Tatsuo getting more flustered the longer he stalled trying to wait for the cake to be delivered.

“Well, I’m off. I’ll probably stay with your brother. Whether to comfort him or to congratulate him will soon be determined.”

Hunk laughed once more. “Tell Marie and her family that I said hi. See you later tonight.”

“Will do. And remember, no more than two batches of chocolate cookies today. The order book is right where I always leave it.”

“I’ve got this. Now go and make sure Tatsuo doesn’t make a fool of himself in front of the whole village.”

Hunk’s father grunted as he hefted the cake up. Being two tiers, it was a precarious thing to deliver across town.

Hunk opened the door for his father and waved him off before he returned to the kitchen to finish baking the day’s orders, singing a merry tune.

_____

Not too far from the village stood a magnificent castle. In the castle’s courtyard, which was outlined by an elegant garden, was an enormous fountain and a few statues sculpted by a famous artist who had visited Merabael long ago.

In front of the fountain sat a target, three arrows stuck firmly into the red center.

Two young men stood on the far side of the fountain dressed in fine clothing. The younger man loosely held a bow at his side and had a well-worn quiver strapped to his back.

The older man had a shock of white hair resting over his forehead that he pushed away from his face in disbelief, “Okay, but can you make it four for four?”

“Too easy, Shiro.” The younger man’s blue eyes looked around the courtyard and spotted a cart full of supplies that rested behind a statue and some hedges. “What if I told you I could hit that sack over there?”

“Lance, you are a great shot, but I don’t think even you could make it…” Shiro paused before he bowed his head with a playful smirk, “My lord.”

“You doubt your superior?” Lance replied, lifting his chin into the air before he relaxed and they shared a friendly laugh.

“Yes, like I said. You’re a great shot but you’d have to be a god to hit that.”

Lance clicked his tongue, slowly shaking his head before he lined up the shot. “Such little faith.”

“All I’m saying is that if you don’t get the shot, I don’t want you moping about the castle. Your mother would probably blame me.”

Lance smiled, waiting for the wind to die down a bit more. “I guess you’re right.”

The burn of his arm muscles as he kept the arrow drawn was familiar and comforting. He sucked in a breath when there was finally a break in the wind before he exhaled and released the arrow.

It shot past the fountain, through the gap between the statue’s arm and torso, flying past the hedge so fast that the leaves swayed briefly, before it embedded itself in the cloth sack he’d been aiming for.

He turned to his friend with a huge smile that quirked up into a cocky grin. “See?”

“I see it, but I don’t believe it.” Shiro shook his head before he ruffled Lance’s hair affectionately. “I don’t know how you managed it!”

Lance pretended to inspect his fingernails as he answered. “Timing is everything.”

“You have _got_ to be the luckiest person alive.”

“Lance!” The two turned to face the queen as she stepped far enough into the courtyard to see her son and his friend.

Lance and Shiro could only watch in horror when the sack chose that moment to rip, pouring its contents at the queen’s feet. It was only bird seed, nothing incredibly important nor was it heavy enough to do any damage. That didn’t excuse the fact that all evidence pointed to it being Lance’s doing.

Her smile disappeared, and the two could tell even from this distance that she was greatly… displeased.

Shiro leaned closer and whispered in Lance’s ear. “I take it back. You have the worst luck.”

“If I were you, Shiro, I’d make a run for it. You don’t need to be told off for this.” Lance muttered as they watched his mother step neatly around the pile of seeds.

“Lance it was my fault, you shouldn’t get in trouble for it.”

Lance turned his head and glared lightly at Shiro. “I won’t get in trouble, but _you_ will. Now scram.”

The sound of the queen clearing her throat reached Lance’s ears, and he turned, giving her a sheepish grin. “Mother! What can I do for you?”

Lance’s mother spared a moment to give her son a warning look before she relented. She never could stay mad at that face.

“I came to give you these letters from all of the eligible suitors who have accepted the invitations to your Coming-of-age Ball.”

“Mother.” Lance nearly whined.

“Don’t take that tone with me,” the queen rebuked sharply before she gave a tired sigh. “I’m not getting any younger, Lance. I don’t want to leave this world and you still be all alone.”

“I’m not alone.” Lance defended. “I have Shiro.”

The queen smacked the prince’s arm lightly. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I want to see you happily married, perhaps you may yet even grace me with grandchildren. I’d love to spend my retired years doting on your children.”

Lance sighed. “I promise, I will marry someday...I just want to do so much.”

“And you will. After the wedding.”

Lance groaned as he followed his mother inside the castle.

_____

Hunk pulled the last batch of cookies out of the oven and set them on the table to cool. He wiped his brow with his arm as he checked the order book to make sure he’d made everything.

When he’d finished, he closed his book and smiled brightly. Now, he should have a few hours to himself before the customers started arriving after work to collect their orders.

After he’d cleaned up, of course. He started to gather all the things he’d used throughout the day when a bird landed on the open windowsill, where he’d sometimes set pies to cool if there wasn’t enough space on the tables. The bird wasn’t a stranger to him, it seemed to know when he was cleaning up and would stop by almost every day.

Hunk’s smile grew as he watched it hop from side to side. It looked sort of like a funny little dance. He kept his tone gentle when he cheered the bird on. It seemed to relish in the praise, and it began to chirp softly in return.

Hunk swept the leftover sesame seeds that had fallen from the bread onto his hand before he sprinkled them near the bird on the window sill.

It chirped happily before it pecked at the seeds. Hunk turned and started to wipe down the table with a wet cloth, listening to the quiet sound of the bird crunching the seeds.

A shrill whistle pierced the air and Hunk quickly turned around, alarmed, and discovered a larger bird greedily eat the seeds, spreading its wings threateningly as it trained one beady eye on Hunk. A cloud of flour rose into the air, alerting Hunk to the fact that the smaller bird had been knocked into the flour bowl.

“Hey!” Hunk stomped over and shooed the other bird away before he gently caught the smaller bird and lifted it out of the flour.

“You okay there, little guy?”

The bird shook itself before it began to furiously preen its feathers, trying its hardest to remove the white powder. If Hunk was being honest with himself, he felt proud to know that this bird trusted him enough to not immediately fly away.

Hunk took a bowl and filled it with a bit of water before he set the bird down. It splashed about for a bit before it was finally satisfied.

“Alright, now let’s get you out of here and back outside.” He held out a hand to which the bird hesitated only a moment before it hopped on.

He carefully made his way to the door before he held up his hand for the bird to take off. It took a moment to consider its surroundings, then with a final chirp, it took off into the sky.

Hunk raised a brow, he had no idea if the bird was an escaped pet, but with the way it had acted just then, he wondered if that was the case, it was very rare for a wild animal to become so attached to a human.

He turned to head back inside when the clattering of hooves on stone and a distressed whinny interrupted the quiet murmur of the villagers’ chattering.

Hunk whipped around, expecting to see a crazed rider rushing through the village. His jaw dropped when a unicorn appeared over the slope. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Had he gone mad? No, everyone else in the street was gasping and pointing at the beast, it was real. The unicorn slowed when it passed him.

It was a little larger than any horse Hunk had seen, and through its skin he could see muscles that rippled just underneath the dark grey fur. Its brown tail swished before an ear flicked back at the sound of its pursuers. It was that action that drew Hunk’s eyes to the large earrings that dangled from the unicorn’s ears. Earrings? Hunk knew some people put nose rings on bulls, but earrings on a _unicorn_ seemed possibly weirder than the unicorn itself.

“I don’t believe it.” Hunk heard himself murmur about the entire experience.

It stared at him with intelligent amber eyes before it seemed to shake itself and run off, nearly getting caught by a villager’s lasso.

He watched in horror as a hunter raised his bow and knocked an arrow. Hunk ducked inside and grabbed a cinnamon roll. Normally, he would be appalled at what he was about to use it for, but it was for a worthy cause. Hunting was a noble sport across the Kingdom, but to kill a creature so pure and magical didn’t sit right with Hunk.

Hunk threw the sweet treat at the archer. “Leave it alone!”

He’d managed to distract the archer long enough that the arrow just missed the unicorn as it ran through the alley.

The hunter rolled his eyes at Hunk’s actions but said nothing when he turned on his heels and ran off after the unicorn. The baker was well known as an animal lover, a kind-hearted and gentle young man. It was the reason none of the villagers heeded his plea.

He was powerless to stop them from crowding into the alley after the unicorn as they chased it.

Hunk took a few steps in the opposite direction hoping to be able to see through a gap between the buildings, just big enough for a cat or small dog to pass through, but far too narrow for a horse or a human.

He managed to catch sight of the unicorn knocking over the woodsman’s cart with its shoulder, sending logs rolling down the street and causing the villagers to flee in terror of being crushed by the hefty lumber. He hoped none of them were hurt.

The unicorn turned its head to inspect its side and Hunk wondered if it had scratched itself on the wood of the cart. With its guard down, the woodsman threw a rope around its neck.

Hunk watched it struggle before it seemed to spot something of interest, ears swiveling forwards. It ran off out of Hunk’s limited line of sight. It must have found something to cut itself loose, because the sudden slack sent the woodsman flying back into a fruit stand.

The villagers crowded around the fallen man and laughed as the stand owner, the woodsman’s wife, scolded him for being so reckless.

The unicorn ran off and the villagers lost track of it. They looked around wildly, but it was too late.

Hunk watched as the unicorn trotted past him on its way out of the village. It spared him a look before it continued on its way, rope dragging on the ground behind it.

He felt his heart clench when the rope around the unicorn’s neck momentarily snagged on a tree branch. Hunk knew if he let the animal wander off like that it was bound to get caught on something and trap itself.

He imagined it withering away if it couldn’t reach water. Without any further hesitation, he tossed his apron inside and flipped the sign to indicate the bakery was closed before setting off after the unicorn.

When he finally caught sight of it again, he found it tangled on another branch. He picked up his pace. It hadn’t spotted him, so he figured if he moved quickly enough he could free it quickly. That horn was very sharp, and those hooves looked deadly. The last thing Hunk wanted was to accidently spook or anger the unicorn.

With a snort, the unicorn freed itself once more.

He silently cursed to himself while he continued pursuing the unicorn. They came upon a river and Hunk watched with a dim sense of wonderment as it skipped over the stones with a sense of familiarity, almost like it was dancing.

He shook his head to clear it when he finally reached the stones and crossed them without the same elegance. Hunk distantly thought this was proof that he just didn’t have the grace to confidently ask anyone to dance, if his father was here Hunk would definitely be using that to his advantage.

He followed the unicorn’s trail until they reached a large, fallen tree. It appeared to act like a makeshift bridge over the churning river below, there was even a cascading waterfall that parted slightly above the tree, allowing passage to the rocky surface beyond.

The unicorn was halfway across when he’d caught up, and he felt like the air was punched out of him when he saw it slip and stumble.

While he tried to muster the courage to get on the slippery trunk of the fallen tree, the struggling unicorn slipped once more as it tried to stand. Hunk pulled himself up instinctively before hurrying towards the creature.

“Hang on, I’m coming to help!”

It startled before twisting its head enough to look at him. With renewed strength, it pulled itself up and hurried across the rest of the tree.

Hunk stood frozen in the middle. “Well then.”

He watched the unicorn’s horn glow with a soft golden light before it touched the rock in front of it, the earth began shifting and parting before the light, opening up to reveal a dark passageway. The unicorn turned steely, golden eyes towards him, its posture large and threatening, likely trying to warn him to keep away. But Hunk had already resolved himself to remove the rope from the animal’s neck. He continued to pick his way across before he heard the rocks sliding closed.

He took a calming breath before running the rest of the way.

He barely managed to clear the gap before the rock closed behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest at the very thought of what could have happened had he been just a bit slower.

His panic was soon forgotten when he looked up to discover the splendor just beyond the rock outcropping he was under.

There was a beautiful river that fed into a lake that was so clear, he could nearly see the bottom of the deepest parts. Hunk didn’t even bother trying to rationalize how the river was flowing into the lake on this side of the rock whilst the river turned into a waterfall on the other side. He noticed that the trees were massive, the only thing that could compare in height might be the castle itself. The grass was a vibrant, emerald green and the sky was such a deep shade of blue it made it seem like this paradise went on forever.

Hunk was startled out of his daze when he heard distressed cries in the distance. He chased after the sound and found the unicorn with its rope entangled around a stump, unable to pull itself free.

“Hang on, I’ll cut you loose!”

The unicorn twisted itself around to pin him with a fierce look. “You! What are you doing here?”

Hunk could scarcely believe the unicorn was talking...then again. It was a unicorn. He supposed...why wouldn’t it be able to talk? It wasn’t even supposed to exist. The voice sounded feminine, and despite the angered tone, it held a soothing note to it.

“I... I followed you inside. I thought you might need help?”

“Did you not see the look I sent you?”

Hunk nodded sheepishly twiddling his thumbs. “I did but...I worried you’d get stuck, so I followed after you.”

The unicorn scoffed. “Worry not, human. I can free myself.” It pulled the rope and Hunk noticed the material was cutting into its skin.

“Wait, you’re hurting yourself!” Hunk cried out. “Just stop! Let me find something to free you.”

“Do whatever suits you.” It replied, continuing to pull harder at the rope, wincing a little at the pain.

Hunk searched around the ground for a sharp rock. He walked around aimlessly searching the ground before he found his feet in front of what had to be the largest tree in the entire forest.

A shine caught his eyes and he noticed a large jewel resting within a hollow in the tree. His eyes widened at the sight before he took in the sharp edges. He looked around to see if he could locate the gem’s owner nearby.

“I’ll put it right back when I’m done.” He reasoned with himself as he hesitantly reached out to pull it free. “I just need it for a moment.” Hunk wasn’t sure who he was trying to reassure with his mumbling.

As his hand closed around it, he felt a surge of courage fill him. He gave a slow blink at the feeling before easily prying the jewel from its place. He turned the gem over in his hands, curiously admiring the light reflecting off the immaculately chiseled edges.

With a shake of his head he refocused himself and made his way back to the unicorn.

Golden eyes glared at him before they widened comically. “Where did you get that?”

“I found it in that tree.” Hunk answered nervously, slowly approaching the unicorn.

“How did you-?”

Hunk interrupted the unicorn as he babbled on. “I swear I’ll put it right back after I cut you loose. Now hold still so it doesn’t cut you too.”

The unicorn remained frozen as Hunk made sure to lift its short brown mane so he wouldn’t cut that either.

“There. Now you’re free.” Hunk smiled while backing away. The unicorn shook its neck sending the rope to the ground.

The unicorn closed its eyes and breathed a deep sigh of relief. When they reopened, they seemed to focus on something behind Hunk, lighting up with reverence.

“He’s freed the crystal, your highness!”

Hunk turned to find what he could only describe as a fairy floating down towards him. She was stunning, with thick white hair that reached her hips and flawless dark skin. Her eyes seemed to glisten with all the colors of the rainbow, and even colors Hunk had never seen before. He felt like he was almost in a dream. The only thing grounding him was the fact that he was getting a little hungry, and he never had dreams like that.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was yours!” He began, offering the crystal in his hand towards its rightful owner.

The fairy smiled gently. “Please. Don’t apologize. We’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time.”

Hunk felt his mind short circuit. “What?”

“I’ll explain, but first, I would like to thank you for rescuing Shay.” Her purple and blue eyes turned towards the unicorn and Hunk felt himself shrink down nervously. “What were you thinking? Going into the human realm? Have you gone mad? You know the only beings that can kill a creature from the enchanted forest is a human!”

Shay’s head lowered, appearing chastised. “I know, Allura. I just thought there might be something we could use in the village to fight against Zarkon.”

The fairy seemed to begrudgingly accept the reasoning before she returned her gaze to Hunk. “Would you grant me the honor of knowing your name?”

“Uh, well, you can call me Hunk.” He offered, not knowing if Tsuyoshi was as weird a name here as it was in his village.

“Hunk.” The fairy nodded before she motioned to Hunk’s hand. “Do you know what you currently hold in your possession?”

Hunk had a sinking feeling it was more than just a pretty crystal. “I was just about to return it! I swear!”

The fairy shook her head. “The magic crystal belongs to you now.”

Shay stepped up beside him and motioned to Hunk with her snout. “How is he going to save us? He seems too soft to face Zarkon,” her words were harsh, but her concerned tone softened the edge.

Hunk felt a twinge of hurt regardless. “Shay’s right, I think you must have me mixed up with someone else. Magic crystals and I probably won’t mix well together. I’m just a baker.”

The fairy smiled sadly. “If you’ll permit me, I’d like to share a bit of the history from this forest?”

Hunk wasn’t going to refuse out of politeness, but Shay’s golden eyes burning into him gave him a bit more incentive to listen. “Go on… please?”

“Years ago, my father’s most trusted friend, a fairy named Zarkon, lived in the enchanted forest with us. When the time came for my father to choose a successor, he chose me, still a child, instead of his friend, his right hand.

“He seemed so angry.” Allura seemed to be reliving the memory as much as retelling it, her eyes glossing over slightly. “He completely disappeared from the forest and all was quiet as I grew and learned to rule properly. After many years of peace, he returned with his son, Lotor. He’d become a master of the dark arts, a cursed brand of magic that had been forbidden due to its corruptive nature. When he realized he couldn’t rule over us without a fight, Zarkon began to quietly take over the forest, piece by piece.

“When I realized what had happened, I tried to _force_ him to leave, but I was no match for the overwhelming power he’d cultivated over the years. While I had been struggling to learn how to govern my people...” Allura trailed off, her face closing at whatever memories she’d brought up before she squared her shoulders and jumped ahead in her story. “Several of my bravest fairies and elves set off to fight against him, but he cursed them, transforming them into animals and forcing them to do his bidding. Some eventually decided to join him of their own will.”

Allura sent a warning look towards Hunk. “With every prisoner he takes, Zarkon’s power grows stronger.”

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Hunk asked nervously.

The fairy nodded in understanding before she explained. “It has been foretold that the one who frees the magic crystal will overcome Zarkon and save the forest.”

Hunk glanced down when he noticed a few woodland creatures approaching them.

“No one has been able to pull the crystal from the tree, Hunk. Not until today.”

A large red squirrel stretched on its haunches before it bowed. “We’d like to thank you for your help!”

The fluffy squirrel next to it folded its arms. “He hasn’t agreed to help us yet, Matt.”

Matt seemed surprised and hurt by that information. He turned to Hunk, ears drooping, “You mean...you’re not going to help us?”

Hunk raised his hands defensively. “I... I wish I could help, but I’ve never had to fight against someone, and if this dude is as bad as you say he is, I don’t think I’m going to be of much help to you.”

The fluffy squirrel huffed. “I knew it.”

“Pidge, please.” Allura scolded gently. “The dangers are enormous. I don’t blame him for not wanting to get involved.”

“I’m sorry. I have to go back. I can’t help you.” Hunk answered with a heavy heart, returning the crystal to the fairy’s outstretched hand.

“It’s alright, you have no reason to apologize. Shay will show you the way back.”

Hunk began to leave before he turned back morosely. “I really am sorry.”

He met each of their gazes before turning and shuffling away. The sound of hooves kicking the dirt alerted him to Shay’s presence behind him. They walked a little ways before Hunk couldn’t stand the suffocating silence and began to ramble.

“I wish I was what you guys were looking for. I’m just... I’m a terrible coward and for that, I’m sorry. You guys probably think I’m the worst.”

Shay shook her head slowly. “Worry not, Hunk. You owe us nothing. Sure, it is a little disheartening that we have to continue to live under Zarkon’s tyranny, but we will figure out something one day.”

Hunk smiled gratefully but decided to remain silent.

They continued their trek in a much more comfortable silence before they were interrupted by screeching in the distance. Hunk’s eyes widened when two large humanoid bats glided down, Shay stepping in front of him protectively.

In a flash of light, the two creatures transformed into a slightly more human-like appearance.

“Zarkon.” Shay nearly spat the word.

“This is the human I hear pulled the crystal free?” Yellow eyes looked Hunk up and down before narrowing. “Pathetic.”

The other creature, who Hunk assumed was Lotor, stood by and watched on, unimpressed.

Shay continued speaking with a courageousness Hunk wished he possessed an inkling of. “Worried he’ll defeat you?”

“Not particularly.” Zarkon hummed.

Shay gave him a puzzled look before she stood taller and tried to block Zarkon’s view of Hunk. “Leave him alone, your business does not lie with him.”

Zarkon raised his hand before pointing at where Hunk’s feet were. “He may be a weak human, but he still had the nerve to pull the crystal from the tree. Death is the only acceptable punishment.”

Hunk felt himself taking a fearful step back.

He saw Shay lower her head, her horn shining brightly before a wave of dark red and black energy washed over them, crackling where it touched Shay’s light. His vision and body were consumed by light and he heard Shay calling out his name. He felt himself shifting and changing. When the darkness receded, he was significantly smaller.

He backed away from Zarkon and his son, who now towered seemingly miles above him, but tripped over his own feet.

His arms waved wildly and when he noticed the flash of white, he looked and discovered he had wings instead of arms. A glance down let him know he now had a set of webbed feet.

Hunk tried to cry out, but it sounded like the trumpet of the Bewick’s swans that would stop by his village.

Shay reared up defensively, kicking at Zarkon and shouting, “Run!”

Hunk turned and made his escape. His wings instinctively flared out at his sides and flapped furiously. The next thing he knew, he was flying.

“Ohhh no. Oh no. I think I’m gonna be sick.” He dropped from the sky a little and when that made his heart jump into his throat he spread his wings and began to glide along the water where it wouldn’t hurt if he fell.

“This way, Hunk!”

He turned shakily to find the fairy and the animals at her side waving him over to the far side of the lake. He twisted in the air to the best of his ability and made his way to the fairy.

He landed awkwardly in the water before he kicked his way to shore and felt sand under his feet.

He began babbling as he tried to stop himself from crying. “He did something to me. I think I’m a… I think I’m a swan!”

Allura winced in sympathy. “I’m afraid so. I wish I could offer you words of comfort, but you need to come here quickly. This crystal will protect you.” She waved her hand over the crystal and it was transformed into a necklace.

Hunk ducked his head and allowed her to slip the crystal necklace over his head. It hung heavy against his long, slim neck, the gem resting against his new feathers.

It was barely a moment before Zarkon landed nearby.

“Get out of here, Zarkon. There is nothing more you can do to him!” Allura commanded.

“Always trying to interfere, princess. You should know better by now. Hand over the crystal, and I will end all of this. I may even spare your life.”

“And watch you destroy this forest more than you already have? Never!” Allura ground out.

Zarkon shrugged with deceptive casualness. “Fine. Have it your way.”

His calm demeanor shifted into a menacing aura when he raised his arm, dark energy swirling around it angrily.

Hunk closed his eyes as he braced himself for the end. The air around them beginning to crackle with energy.

The last thing he believed he’d hear was Allura’s sharp, “No!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ****  
>  Previously:   
>  _Zarkon shrugged with a deceptive casualness. “Fine. Have it your way.”_
> 
> _His calm demeanor shifted into a menacing aura as he raised his arm, dark energy swirling around it angrily._
> 
> _Hunk closed his eyes as he braced himself for the end as the air around them started to crackle with energy._
> 
> _The last thing he believed he’d hear was Allura’s sharp, “No!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'd like to take a moment to thank everyone reading this for getting past the first chapter and continuing to read this self-indulgent fic v.v

The dark energy shot towards him, but before it made contact, Hunk found himself engulfed in a brilliant light. The air around him was scorching for a few seconds before it lessened to a comforting heat. When the light finally dimmed, there were a few sparks remaining that drifted gently through the air around him.

He spread his wings and surveyed his body to make sure he was all there… well, that his _swan body_ was all there, before he sent Allura a relieved smile, taking notice that Shay had returned.

When he glanced back at Zarkon, he found that the fairy seemed momentarily taken aback. However, his face quickly morphed back into a hateful scowl.

“Of course, you continue relying on your cheap tricks.” He hissed before straightening his stance. “Your powers are running out, Allura. You and I _both_ know that. You won’t be able to protect yourself or your friends for much longer.” He warned.

With a flash of red light, he turned once more into the large bat creature he had been before. His son, Lotor, was quick to follow suit with a bored expression.

As the two flew away, Lotor could be heard talking to his father, “If you had just killed him instead of turning him into a swan, this would have been finished already.”

Zarkon growled threateningly in response, and if anything more was said, they were too far for anyone to hear it from the ground.

Shay was the first to approach Hunk, her ears perked forward happily. “I’m glad you were able to escape unscathed.”

Hunk raised his wings to demonstrate his new appendages, wishing he could also raise his eyebrows. “I’d hardly call this ‘unscathed’.”

Pidge scurried closer before her arms returned to crossing over her fluffy chest. “At least you’re alive.”

Hunk couldn’t argue with that. He turned to look up at Allura, wings nervously tucked close to his body. “Is there any way to turn me back?”

Allura shook her head sadly. “I wish I could, but my power, at present, isn’t strong enough to overcome Zarkon’s magic. The elves behind me were able to escape on their own, thankfully,” she spared a look at the animals around her, “They’ve been helping me try to find a way to grow stronger.”

Matt put an arm around his sister’s tiny shoulders, his bushy tail twitching behind him. “It was really Pidge who orchestrated the escape!” He gloated.

Pidge smiled so wide her large front teeth peeked over the front of her lips. “Yeah well… I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Matt smiled before he turned to Hunk, expression serious. “I have the most amazing little sister.”

Pidge smacked the other squirrel playfully.

“At any rate,” Allura spoke up to get them back to the topic at hand, “while I was not strong enough to break Zarkon’s curse, I was able to give them something close to their original bodies from sunset until dawn.”

Her eyes gravitated towards the setting sun for a moment.

Hunk followed her gaze before he turned to Allura, eyes widening hopefully. “Do you think you might be strong enough now?”

Allura’s brow wrinkled slightly as she looked down, her expression showing her doubt.

“Please, could you at least try?” Hunk asked gently. “I won’t blame you if it doesn’t work.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Allura floated closer to wave her hand over the crystal resting on Hunk’s chest. It seemed to glow for a moment before the light died down.

Hunk turned his head, watching as the sun began to set soon after. The elves transformed one by one in a burst of light. They looked youthful, with the oldest of them appearing no older than seventeen at most. The only thing that marked them nonhuman immediately were the animal appendages that stayed with them.

When all the elves had transformed, Hunk looked down at himself and raised his wings hopefully. When nothing happened, he felt his entire body wilt in disappointment.

He watched as Shay squeezed her eyes shut before he heard her quietly begging the magic to work.

Hunk felt his chest flooding with warmth, his eyes dazzled by a bright golden hue as he was swallowed by the crystal’s light once more. When it finally faded, he stood in his human form, completely unharmed. Hunk had never felt so normal, despite the situation he was in.

He looked down at his hands clenching and unclenching them as he pleased. He snapped his head up and sent the fairy a goofy smile. “It worked!” He hugged Allura happily, thanking her profusely and forgetting himself for a moment. He pulled away shortly after when his senses returned with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, your highness.”

Allura chuckled. “It’s quite alright. I am relieved as well. However, I’m afraid I must point out that when the sun rises tomorrow-”

“I’ll be a swan again.” Hunk finished, posture sagging as disappointment overtook him once more. He dropped his head into his hands. “How am I supposed to go back? Who would trust a baker that only works at night?”

Allura looked confused but contrite all the same. “I am sorry.”

“Is there no other way to break the spell? Anything, other than by defeating Zarkon?”

The fairy shook her head slowly. “I fear there’s not one that I know of.”

Hunk was afraid of that. “Then it looks like,” He took a steadying breath before he continued, “I’m going to have to join your efforts to defeat him.”

Matt perked up right away. Possibly forgetting he was currently much bigger than his squirrel body, he launched himself at Hunk happily. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you!”

“He hasn’t helped us yet, Matt.” Pidge grumped off to the side. Her ears pinned back and, as Hunk was beginning to realize was her default stance, her arms folded in front of her chest.

Matt smiled at his sister, his arms dropping from around a stunned Hunk. “If he’s willing to try, that’s more than enough for me!”

Hunk gave a small, encouraged smile as Shay nodded in agreement.

Pidge shrugged before uncrossing her arms to relax at her sides. “I suppose that’s fair.”

Feeling a bit more confident, Hunk turned to Allura. “There must be something that we can use against Zarkon. Everyone has a weakness.”

The fairy queen nodded. “There is. In the Book of Forest Lore…or so it has been foretold.” She gave a helpless smile before continuing. “It can only be opened by the bearer of the crystal, so no one really knows what’s inside.”

“I’m willing to try.” Hunk answered, the tremor in his voice betraying the falseness of his confidence.

Allura smiled gently before turning to the group. “Who will escort Hunk to the Book?”

Matt shuddered next to Hunk. “Isn’t that place guarded by a terrifyingly large troll?”

Allura raised a singular eyebrow and Pidge glared at her brother. “Would you shut up? You’re going to scare him!”

Matt shrugged, grinning cheekily. “I just figured he’d like to know.”

Hunk suddenly felt his remaining confidence wane and anxiety began to grow in its place.

Shay stepped forward and nuzzled her velvety snout against Hunk’s arm. “Fear not, Hunk. I shall go with you.”

Hunk felt comforted by Shay’s presence and rewarded her efforts with a tiny smile. “Thanks, Shay.”

The unicorn bowed her head. “It would be my honor to help you.”

Allura waved her hand and produced a leaf with a symbol on it as she gave Hunk a few bits of information. “The door to the Book of Lore is guarded fiercely by my most trusted friend, Coran. Shay will know where the door is located.”

Hunk nervously accepted the leaf when it was offered to him.

With a nod to steady his resolve, Hunk turned and followed Shay, the sound of the elves wishing him luck echoing behind him.

_____

Lance was sitting in his study late into the night, unable to sleep with the thought of having to choose a suitor. After tossing and turning for an hour, he’d decided to try and occupy his mind with grand tales of adventure written within the pages of his most cherished books.

He was interrupted by the sound of grunting in the hall outside the study.

When the young prince investigated, he found Shiro struggling with a large crate due to the use of only one arm. His wooden prosthetic dangled uselessly at his side. Lance felt a quick flash of guilt as the memory of a hunting trip gone wrong replayed in his mind like it always did whenever he saw Shiro struggle without the use of both arms.

He shook the haunting images away as he jogged over to his friend. “Here, let me help you with that!”

“I can do it!” Shiro snapped, turning his body so that Lance wouldn’t be able to touch the package.

Lance lifted a single brow in challenge. “My study is literally right there. Let me at least help this much. You’ve already lugged it all the way over here.”

“All the more reason,” Shiro huffed as he shifted the box’s weight once more and tried to move past Lance, “for _me_ to bring this the rest of the way.”

Shiro was always so stubborn when he set his mind on doing something. It was something Lance often admired about his friend… except for times like these where he wouldn’t accept help. He knew it wasn’t really a sense of pride that Shiro was like this. The older man tried to be as independent as possible, almost like he was proving to himself that he was okay with the use of only one arm.

Shiro set his burden down in the middle of the floor and pressed his hand against his lower back when he straightened back up. Despite his obvious discomfort, the pleased look on Shiro’s face was not easily missed.

Lance worried for a moment longer before slapping on his usual smile for Shiro’s sake. “I wonder what’s inside?”

Shiro looked up in thought. “Whatever it is, your mother said she’d ordered it ages ago. She seemed a little miffed.”

They shared a moment to imagine what the queen would order that would take so long to be made.

When they pried open the crate, they found a…well, it couldn’t exactly be described as a globe. Perhaps a cubic map of the Earth would be more accurate.

“Man, this _was_ ages ago. Everyone knows the Earth is round now!”

Shiro nodded in agreement with Lance, a haunted look in his eyes. “Yeah. I was so glad. It was terrifying as a kid to think that if you reached the edge of the world, you could fall off…if the sea dragons and monsters of the deep didn’t get you first.”

Lance nodded, giving Shiro a friendly pat on his good shoulder and surveying the cube. “Still, there’s so much I have yet to explore.” A long-fingered hand ran across the surface longingly.

“You _should_ be exploring the offers from the various suitors to find a spouse.” Shiro teased.

Lance groaned as he moved to stand by the window, peering up at the stars outside. “I’m not ready to settle down! Not when there could be something _amazing_ out there just _waiting_ to be discovered.”

High in the sky, the stars twinkled brightly, drawing Lance’s attention to them. His eyes traced out a picture, moving from star to star as he drew Orion in his mind. It had been the first constellation his mother had taught him many years ago, back when she’d enjoyed teaching him about the world without fearing he’d run off and leave her behind. 

With a resigned sigh Lance turned away from the window and started to clear away the mess he had made. Tomorrow would be a new day, and Lance knew he needed to be well rested. He didn’t quite know why he felt so sure that the next day would be so important, but he saw no point in arguing with the feeling.

_____

Night in the Enchanted Forest was no less magical than the day had been. The atmosphere, however, shifted to a more ominous one the deeper they ventured. Needless to say, it didn’t help bolster Hunk’s waning courage in any way.

“So…how scary is this troll?”

Shay looked up in thought as she walked beside him. “It has been rumored that the troll is very large, very angry, and has a taste for human flesh.”

“What?” Hunk’s voice cracked.

Shay smiled bravely. “I am sure it’s only a rumor, though. Allura did say he was her most trusted friend.”

Hunk wasn’t so sure. After all, from what he’d gathered in Allura’s story, he could tell that she had once looked up to Zarkon.

Shay shifted her attention to him when she noticed his tense posture. “I _will_ protect you, Hunk.”

He returned her gaze before he smiled, feeling reassured. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t want you thinking that you’re just some bodyguard. We’ll protect each other, that’s what friends do.”

It wasn’t too much longer before they reached a pair of ornate, golden doors, set into the side of what looked like an impossibly large boulder. Hunk went to push on one of them but was stopped by Shay’s voice.

“What are you doing?”

Hunk paused before he turned to Shay and tilted his head. “I’m going to open the door?”

Shay smiled and she shook her head fondly. “You can’t push it open. Use the key Allura gave you.”

Hunk grinned bashfully. “Oh. Right.”

He rifled through his pockets until he found the key. He held it up to the door and waited until the symbol flared to life and the door began to slowly creak open.

Shay stepped in first. When she didn’t hear Hunk behind her, she turned around to find him standing nervously in the doorway. “Hunk?”

He looked at her nervously, frozen to his spot.

Shay approached him and nuzzled his face affectionately until he relaxed. She gave him an encouraging smile. “You are far braver than you give yourself credit for.”

That seemed to do the trick and snapped Hunk out of his paralyzed state. He gave her a shaky smile. “Thanks, Shay.”

They shared a moment with Shay pressing her large forehead against Hunk’s, mindful of her horn so it wouldn’t bump into his head.

Feeling a renewed sense of bravery, they walked inside, hearing the large doors close behind them, blocking what little light the night sky had offered.

_____ 

Deep in another part of the Enchanted Forest, where the sun was barely able to peek through the dense leaves, sat a dilapidated castle. The air around it was heavy and reeked of dark magic that left the ground bare and cracked. A few of the previously ornate windows had been smashed and the rest were riddled with spiderweb cracks. Moss, ivy and various lichens had crept up the walls, forcing cracks and holes to open up in the thick stone.

The castle was hauntingly empty for the most part, the exception being the throne room in the heart of the fortress. One of the thrones had been ripped from the ground and now rested in crumbles on the stone floor, whilst the other stood proud and regal. The message was clear: there was room for only one ruler. Aside from the throne were a few scattered pieces of furniture, their faded purple fabric the only color in the room.

In the corner, crafted from bars that stretched from ceiling to floor, was a cage. Sitting huddled with his back to the stone wall was a young man, his dark hair tangled and greasy, hanging around his shoulders. His pale skin was waxen, and his face was gaunt with blue-grey eyes that stared into empty space. A prince fallen from grace.

Outside the cage, Zarkon paced, his footfalls heavy and deafening in the otherwise silent room. Lotor sat on one of the sofas, his legs spread out over the cushions and his head resting on the high armrest.

“There must be some way to get around the crystal’s protection.” Zarkon snarled to himself. 

Lotor turned his head with a roll of his eyes, staring at the man in the cage, “You wouldn’t need to worry about this if you’d just killed him in the first place.” At the sound of his voice, the caged man lifted his eyes to glare at him, “It’s always a power show for you, isn’t it?” 

Lotor narrowed his eyes at the other challengingly. He’d wanted to kill the little heir years ago, but Zarkon had refused. The boy was important, he’d say, the last living relative of a once powerful fairy queen. 

As gruesome as it may be, Lotor wasn’t afraid to remove obstacles in his way the moment he deemed them a problem. However, he turned his gaze to Zarkon as the other whirled around to snap at him for his insolence, he’d learned long ago that patience was a virtue that was often rewarded.

“Hold your tongue, whelp.” Zarkon growled, fixing his scorching, yellow eyes on his son. “I run things around here, not you. You’re lucky I still find use in you.”

Lotor scoffed quietly and shook his head, going back to staring at the caged man.

Zarkon’s hand sliced through the air as he turned away from his son with a grunt. “I _will_ find a way to kill that insolent little worm, with or without your help.” 

From the cage, the boy made a broken sound akin to a laugh. “You can’t kill anyone in the Enchanted Forest. Only humans can do that.” His voice cracked, as if every single word caused him pain.

Zarkon paused in thought before his expression bloomed into a terrifying smile. “Why Keith, I do believe you’ve just given me a _wonderful_ idea.”

Lotor looked up with interest. The boy’s eyes widened in horror at inadvertently helping Zarkon.

“The only thing that can kill in the Enchanted Forest is a human...” Zarkon continued, “and I know _just_ how I’m going to lure one here.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:  
>  _Feeling a renewed sense of bravery, they walked inside, hearing the large doors close behind them, blocking what little light the night sky had offered._

The first thing Hunk noticed was the staggering number of books. They were everywhere, piled from the floor up to the shadowed ceiling, crammed tightly into every nook and cranny the large bookcases had to offer. The collection was so large that it made the town bookstore feel like a tiny shelf of books in comparison.

“Whoa...” Hunk heard himself say while he spun slow circles taking everything in.

A flickering light drew their attention to a large podium. It was at least three times as tall as Hunk and projected onto the wall behind was a large, foreboding shadow.

“Who goes there?” The voice thundered.

Hunk nearly jumped out of his skin at the tone and barely remembered he was able to take a few steps back. His nervousness chased away any coherent speech and so it was Shay that eventually spoke up.

“I am Shay and beside me is the Bearer of the Crystal, Hunk. We were sent here to retrieve the Book of Forest Lore by the fairy queen.”

The creature made a mumbling sound, as if muttering to itself in contemplation, before its shadow shifted and began to shrink accompanied by the sound of heavy footfalls.

From behind the podium stepped a creature that seemed almost human. In fact, he was no taller than Hunk. As he came closer, he started to twirl his large, orange moustache with one finger.

Hunk waited for him to speak, but the being before him, who Hunk was entirely sure was Coran, only stared back, as though waiting. He held out the leaf nervously and without hesitation, Coran snatched it out of his hands.

He sniffed it, a contemplative look growing on his features, before licking it. Whatever he found made his eyes practically shine with excitement.

“I can’t believe I have guests from her highness, Allura!”

Without further ado, Coran began to transform. His brown skin turned pale and he shrunk a few inches. His entire body seemed to deflate, large muscles disappearing to reveal a lanky-looking man. Once he was done, he dashed off to prepare seating, bringing along food and drink.

Hunk gratefully sat down, his legs and feet aching from the journey. It was only now that he started to feel the accumulating stress and weariness from the past few hours weighing him down.

“We heard that you were some terrifying troll but…… you look like Allura… like a fairy!” Hunk corrected quickly. 

Coran laughed and shook his head. “It’s all an act to keep people from thinking they can waltz in here and take anything they want. Some of the books I have here are dangerously powerful. Why do you think there was the added security on the door? If I was really that big and scary that wouldn’t be necessary.”

Hunk nodded along politely. “I suppose that’s true.”

“Would you like some tea? Or perhaps some cookies? You are my guests so make yourselves at home.”

Hunk took one of the small, flat cookies to be polite and nibbled on it. Although it wasn’t bad, it was not as flaky and flavorful as the ones his bakery made. While he chewed, his mind wandered to thoughts of his family and he found himself missing them terribly. To hide his newfound melancholy from Shay, he hurriedly scarfed down the rest of the cookie and his tea.

Thankfully, Shay was too absorbed in eating her own snacks to notice Hunk’s moment of sadness.

Coran, however, seemed to pick up on the sudden silence, and he took it upon himself to continue the conversation. Unfortunately, Hunk had no idea what Coran was talking about and had to content himself with listening to Shay and Coran talk about ‘current events’ in the Enchanted Forest.

“So, how’s life in the forest? How’s Blaytz doing?” Coran asked, dunking his cookie into his tea.

Shay took a moment to swallow her mouthful before answering. “He’s long since been retired.”

“I suppose he did often talk about settling down.” Coran rubbed his chin. “What about Trigel?”

“Old fairies’ home.”

“And Grygan?”

“He acquired a large wagon and now he travels the forest. Apparently, he’s trying to document everyone he meets for an epic saga he intends to write.”

Coran’s body slumped with a dramatic sigh before he sat down heavily in a worn armchair. “I guess that’s it then. I’m the last.”

Hunk sat up straighter, staring at Coran. “What do you mean?”

Coran shrugged. “I’m the last of my friends that still have a job to do. The rest were allowed to grow old and move on and…” He began to get choked up. “I’ve spent my whole life in this library… guarding and taking care of it. I didn’t mind being alone because I could have it a lot worse. I could be a toad or something thanks to Zarkon’s magic. And yet… here I am. A shut-in with only his stories to keep him company while the rest of his friends are out fighting against Zarkon in a seemingly impossible war.”

Hunk shared a look with Shay before placing a gentle hand on Coran’s shoulder. When the other looked up from where he’d been staring morosely at the table, Hunk offered, “It sounds awfully lonely… waiting so long.”

Coran sniffled before his gaze fixated on Hunk’s chest. His brow furrowed before he seemed to mentally shake himself. “Right. That’s enough of that. The sooner this war is over, the sooner I can lock this place up and get some much-needed vacation time.”

Before Hunk could offer his gratitude, the fairy hopped out of his chair and bounded towards one of the bookshelves. He rifled around before he pulled out a large silver book and Hunk felt his heart lift. Could it be so easy?

“This is what it kind of looks like. Except... bigger. And Red. And, of course it has a special lock on it.”

Hunk wilted a bit as he watched Coran continue his search.

“We could help you look?” Hunk offered.

Coran nodded. “That would probably be for the best. Many hands do make light work after all.” He twirled his mustache absently. “I could have sworn I just saw it.”

They searched through several shelves and tried to organize it as they went so they wouldn’t get confused about bookshelves they had already searched through. A few times Hunk started to look through books only to realize he’d already searched that particular shelf mere minutes before.

At least Coran seemed to have an eternal supply of tea and cookies. It did wonders for Hunk’s enthusiasm, whenever he took a quick break. Coran and Shay’s steady stream of conversation was a nice background noise. At a few points, it had sounded like the pair had switched to a language he’d never heard of… though Hunk was pretty sure that was because he’d accidently tuned them out.

“I apologize this is taking so long. Normally, I can remember where I left things.” Coran apologized after a while from atop a ladder.

“I’m sure it hasn’t been that long?” Hunk offered, raising a brow. “It probably just feels that way because there’s so much to look through.”

“We’ve been searching the entire night.” Shay answered, lifting her head.

Hunk followed her gaze and discovered a window he’d failed to notice with the lack of light outside. A soft, orange light was streaming in, the tell-tale sign of dawn fast approaching. Almost as if to punish him for his newfound knowledge, he felt the change come over him and knew he’d become a swan once more.

He sighed before shaking himself, discovering the satisfying feeling of his feathers settling into place.

“This just got a whole lot harder.” Hunk lamented to himself. “I guess I’ll take the bottom shelves from now on.”

Coran and Shay nodded their acknowledgement before resuming the search in their areas.

They searched for a few more hours until Hunk struggled to keep his eyes focused enough to read the blurry words. Well, at least for the books written in a language he could actually read. With the blurry words he couldn’t tell the difference.

When he’d “stared” at a book for twelve minutes, having dozed off, Shay offered to continue searching while Hunk got some rest.

He left only after she’d reassured him that he was of more use rested than valiantly trying not to fall asleep in front of the bookshelves. Shay escorted him back to Swan Lake, pointing out that being in the library where Coran and she still searched might be too loud for him to achieve restful sleep.

A little wary, he stepped into the water and floated out a bit. Some buried instinct chanting at him that the water was the safest place to rest. Within minutes of Shay’s departure, he was asleep.

_____

Lance received various complaints about a man-sized bat that was wreaking havoc throughout town one morning. The stories were so incredibly strange… and yet his sense of adventure was spurring him into action. He nominated himself to find and rid Merabael of the nuisance, regardless of if it was a case of mistaken identity or an actual creature of fantasy.

He managed to evade Shiro’s ever-watchful presence and sneak away to track the beast. It hadn’t been hard to do.

After following the screams, he found what he’d been searching for. He wondered if it was a vampire, like he’d read in his novels. It was exactly as had been described, give or take a few meters in size.

At first, he was taken aback by the reality of such an absurd situation. When he managed to collect himself enough to draw back an arrow, it was too late, for the creature had taken flight the moment it had spotted Lance’s bow.

The prince watched the monster soared over the treetops, moving unpredictably enough that he couldn’t get a clear shot. Almost as if it knew exactly what Lance was trying to do.

He squeezed his horse’s sides to get her galloping after the bat.

Lance tracked it through the forest to a large waterfall where a fallen tree acted as a natural bridge over a churning river.

The monster landed before crawling across the trunk like it was clinging to a cavern’s ceiling before disappearing behind the curtain of water. Lance dismounted and stared across the makeshift bridge. He was a little hesitant, but he followed soon after, preparing for the creature to have a trap waiting for him. His instincts were screaming that this thing was plotting something.

The prince discovered a hidden tunnel behind the waterfall and carefully made his way through it. When he reached the mouth of the other side, he was in awe at the sudden shift in atmosphere. Everything suddenly felt almost…magical.

He heard a shriek and he returned his attention to hunting down the creature. He’d been tracking the creature all day and if he didn’t want to have to deal with it still running around at night, where it might be even more active, he’d have to hurry.

With the rapidly fading light, it wasn’t hard for Lance to lose sight of it in the forest. His eyes scanned the treetops anxiously while he crept forward, following the stream as an easy landmark to navigate at night towards a large, crystal clear lake.

The sound of rustling had Lance turning to find a swan waddling towards him at high speed. It screeched to a halt a fair distance away and stared at him almost incredulously. Frozen and yet, unafraid before it looked down and caught sight of the bow and quiver full of arrows. Its eyes widened before it abruptly turned and waddled away, tripping a bit in its haste.

It was such a beautiful swan, the feathers looked like they would make a lovely pillow for his mother and make a fine meal for the night (if he needed one). He cast a quick look around to make sure the bat creature was nowhere in sight before Lance raised his bow and readied his aim, reveling in the familiar exhilaration that came with knowing that he was sure to hit his mark.

As Lance raised his bow to line up the shot, his mind begged the question about why the swan wasn’t flying. Perhaps it was crippled? That thought led him to thinking about Shiro, which made guilt well up in his chest, his nerve to shoot suddenly lost. He relaxed the arrow and returned it to his quiver.

He rubbed his face trying to remind himself of what he’d come to the forest for in the first place and almost missed the swan being engulfed in a brilliant light. He shielded his eyes at the intense shine before the light faded and revealed a human.

Lance thought he was going to be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was so short!! The next one is the moment we've all been waiting for!  
> Lance and Hunk finally meet face to face and Keith makes another appearance.
> 
> See y'all next Thursday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> _He rubbed his face trying to remind himself of what he’d come to the forest for in the first place and almost missed the swan being engulfed in a brilliant light. He shielded his eyes at the intense shine before the light faded and revealed a human._  
>  Lance thought he was going to be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something to note here, but it is sort of spoiler-y. Feel free to skip past. I will paste it to the end note as well so you don't miss it!
> 
> Lance is smitten with Hunk, yes. Whether that is because he associates Hunk with the sense of adventure he's longed for his entire life or not, is up for interpretation. He doesn't necessarily love Hunk, but he would certainly like to get to know him more.  
> As far as Hunk's feelings. He is essentially meeting someone he's admired for many years. His family really looks up to the royal one so for him, it's kinda like meeting uhhh.... well the prince lmao
> 
> Anyhoo, that is all. Just a disclaimer that the slow burn still applies however it may seem v.v

Hunk thought he was going to be sick. The last thing he’d wanted was for his prince to shoot him, but a close second would have to be him witnessing his transformation back to a human.

He turned to face Lance with a nervous smile, hoping the prince wouldn’t know who he was, “Hello?”

“I… almost shot you.” Lance confessed weakly.

“Yeah...” Hunk answered slowly, rubbing the back of his head before his eyes widened when he realized the prince might have taken offense and began waving his hands defensively. “But you didn’t, so it’s all good!”

“I can’t believe I almost…” he held a hand over his mouth.

Hunk rushed over to place a hesitant hand on the prince’s shoulder, trying to provide some modicum of comfort without overstepping his boundaries. “Hey, you didn’t...so it’s okay!”

“Why are _you_ the one comforting _me_?” Lance argued, ducking under Hunk’s touch to turn and face him. “You...you could have died!”

“I mean…it wouldn’t be the first time I thought I was a goner but survived. I guess as long as I don’t die it’s fine?”

Lance gave a shaky laugh in disbelief that Hunk found himself echoing back, still reeling over the fact that his prince was standing _right_ in front of him… Which… why was he here again?

“If you’ll permit my asking, what are you doing here… my prince?” Hunk wasn’t sure how to address royalty, but he was pretty sure you were supposed to use their title at least _once_ when asking them a question.

Lance straightened, lifting his chin to look down on Hunk suspiciously and making him worry he’d overstepped his boundaries. “How do you know who I am?”

Hunk startled. “Oh... I uh. I live in the village. Err, well... _lived_ there? Until this happened to me.” He motioned to his body. “I was a baker.” he added with a nervous laugh, hoping someday he’d learn how to speak without sounding like a fool.

“So is your name Baker or...?”

“Oh no! It’s Hunk!” He held out a hand, instantly regretting doing so because he was pretty sure it was dripping with sweat. Lance accepted the gesture tentatively. “My name’s Hunk!” The moment the words were out, Hunk wanted the ground to swallow him before he made an even bigger fool of himself.

“Well Hunk,” Lance gave one of his charming, signature grins, graciously ignoring Hunk’s currently lacking social skills. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too!” Hunk answered louder than he’d intended, feeling himself slowly go insane at the sheer ridiculousness of what was happening to him.

“Enough of this!” Thundered a voice from seemingly all around them.

Hunk felt the familiar tension that came with Zarkon’s dark magic and stepped in the direction it came from. He was barely able to step fully in front of Lance before the energy struck the crystal’s barrier.

Lance drew an arrow from his quiver and aimed in the direction the magic was coming from, releasing it in the hopes of at least flushing out his target.

They watched Zarkon in his monstrous bat form rush towards the arrow and gasped as it crumbled to harmless ash before the fairy’s crackling energy.

Zarkon laughed menacingly, pulling his hand back and readying to unleash another current of dark magic.

He was interrupted by the sound of shouting in the distance. He paused, magic swirling, as one large ear swiveled towards the sound.

He glared hatefully at the two men in front of him before he leapt into the air and flew towards the sound.

_____

Keith knew that he would likely never get a chance to escape again after what he was about to do.

Zarkon had arrogantly brought Keith along to witness the result of his earlier outburst. He’d left Keith under Lotor’s care, no cage holding him back. This would be the best chance to escape without Zarkon’s presence and ever watchful eyes.

He looked out of the corner of his eye to find Lotor standing calmly beside him. He seemed to be staring off in the direction Zarkon had disappeared, his ears perking up occasionally at whatever he heard.

This was his chance. He knew that. He just had to… go for it.

He waited for Lotor’s ears to perk up again, knowing he’d be less focused during that instant.

“Enough of this!” Keith heard Zarkon bellow in the distance, watching Lotor’s ears perk forward and his brow furrow.

He gathered all the strength he had in his weakened body and lunged for Lotor’s stomach, sending them both to the ground.

Lotor let out a cry of alarm while his back collided with the grass.

Keith felt his emotions bubble over. His mind buzzing with one desperate, terrifying thought: Lotor wouldn’t be able to catch him if he was dead.

He distantly registered the tiny voice screaming in the back of his mind that he should run away now while he still had the chance, but he hesitated.

Lotor glared up at him, grappling with Keith until he’d flipped them both with Lotor on top. The smaller man struggled against his captor and was surprised when he was able to break free.

Keith didn’t question the stroke of luck, and instead threw Lotor off his back before scrambling to his feet to make his escape.

He got as far as the tree line before he felt Zarkon’s talons bury themselves into his shoulders. He cried out as he was carried back to Zarkon’s castle, struggling with every last shred of energy he possessed but only succeeded in making the claws dig further into his flesh.

His body felt like it was fighting through mud, muscles tight and strained as he tried to move his limbs. He almost sighed with relief when he was dropped back into his cell. Zarkon made sure to heal him only enough that he wouldn’t bleed out before he slammed the door shut and locked it.

Keith was barely able to register Zarkon turning on his son.

“You let him escape.” Zarkon accused quietly, his tone sharp and dangerous. Even nearly unconscious, Keith felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Hardly. He surprised me. I almost had a good grip on him, but he broke free before I could restrain him properly.”

“Enough lies!” Zarkon’s voice nearly shook the entire castle. “I have grown tired of your mutinous ways. If you want to sneak around behind my back, perhaps I should turn you into something more appropriate.”

“Father, that’s hardly fair.” Lotor seemed a little anxious.

His words fell on deaf ears, however, because Zarkon lifted a hand and his magic surged toward Lotor before enveloping him within its grasp.

He shrunk down until Keith could hardly see him from his position on the ground. As his eyes fluttered closed, he saw a rat scamper off into one of the many holes in the wall.

_____

When Hunk turned back to Lance, he found the other staring at him with wide eyes. “You saved me.” He sounded like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Thank you!”

Hunk scratched at his cheek bashfully. “Ah, it was nothing. The crystal protects me, so it wasn’t like I was in any danger.”

“But you didn’t have to!” Lance argued. “I just tried to kill you, after all.”

Hunk waved Lance’s comments away. “Ah well, you know… it’s not like you’re the first,” he joked, “and you didn’t really mean it…” Hunk trailed off before looking at Lance seriously. “I’m glad you’re alright. This place might be beautiful, but it isn’t exactly safe.”

Lance motioned to the forest surrounding them. “What even is this place?”

“I haven’t seen much more than Swan Lake, personally. I could show you that, if you want?”

Lance paused before smiling warmly and offering a hand to Hunk. “That would be lovely.”

Hunk felt his face warm as he grabbed Lance’s hand gently. It was much softer than his own, but it was not the same plushness he would have expected a noble’s hands to be.

The moon illuminated the Enchanted Forest beautifully on their way to Swan Lake. The scent of pine trees filled Hunk’s nose, and the cool breeze brushed against their exposed skin.

“This place is so gorgeous, how could anything evil possibly live here?” Lance asked breathlessly, looking all around them and taking in everything he could.

“I know, right? It’s really hard to imagine something as vile as Zarkon having free reign here.” Hunk answered softly as they turned, finally reaching the lake. The moon shone off its surface, making the water look like cool, liquid silver.

Brown eyes widened when Hunk turned his head to look down the shore and discovered the elves standing around a ridiculously large mushroom.

“Hey guys. What’s uhh...what’s with the mushroom?”

Matt stepped in front of the large fungus and spread his arms in a grand gesture. “Queen Allura made it with her magic! She said it would make a nice table for you.”

“What?” Hunk’s voice cracked.

Pidge elbowed her way in front of her brother. “Well, we saw the chemistry between you two and figured we would help,” Matt turned and placed a hand over Pidge’s mouth, earning a sharp glare.

“What my sister is trying to say is: we figured you two might like to eat before Lance has to head home.”

Lance’s brow wrinkled. “Wait, how do _you_ know my name, now? Was there some debriefing I wasn’t apart of?”

Matt motioned to his pointed ears. “Do you think these are just for decoration? Although, compared to yours, our ears do look much more fashionable.”

As Matt and Lance began to argue about whether Lance’s ears were or were not too small to be of any use, Hunk watched the other elves produce a picnic basket and remove a blanket before draping it over the top of the mushroom cap.

Hunk shook his head quietly, his eyes widening in a silent plea.

The elves smiled encouragingly, ignoring Hunk’s request and emptying the rest of the contents until it looked like a romantic, candle-lit dinner.

Lance finally ended the argument, his hands self-consciously cupping his ears, when he took in the sight of the food.

Hunk pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before he looked at Lance apologetically. “Sorry about all this. They can be a little over the top.”

Lance laughed gleefully. “I love it!”

The prince looked all around him in awe, like he was on some grand adventure and enjoying all the unexpected things that were happening.

When Hunk noticed a pair of golden eyes glowing from the tree line, his stomach dropped at the thought of it being Zarkon lurking in the shadows. He felt a surge of relief as he realized it was only Shay.

He smiled nervously, and she gave him an encouraging nod.

“Great.” Hunk heard himself mutter. Shay was in on it too.

“What’s great?”

Hunk turned to find Lance looking at him questioningly.

“Everyone is waiting for something that isn’t going to happen and... I’m just feeling a ton of pressure right now.” He sent a dirty look to the elves.

Lance raised a brow. “Pressure? To do what?”

Hunk looked into endless blue eyes helplessly before he sighed and looked away. “Don’t worry about it. It’s stupid.”

Hunk heard Lance open his mouth and inhale to say something, but nothing ever came. It wasn’t until he looked up that he found Lance looking just as helpless and unsure as Hunk felt.

The prince placed a reassuring hand on Hunk’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Whatever it is, don’t worry about it… it would be a waste to squander such a beautiful night worrying about things you can’t change...right?”

Hunk smiled and felt his heart lighten a touch at the sentiment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, my prince.”

“Please, call me Lance. You did save my life today, after all, so it’s only fair.”

Hunk blushed. Growing up, he’d constantly been made aware of how society worked and the difference between the classes. Even if he didn’t have the proper etiquette, he’d been raised knowing that royalty was to be afforded the utmost respect. To have all of his teachings shoved aside for such familiarity was a bit overwhelming.

However, it was also against his upbringing to refuse a kind gesture from anyone.

“If you say so...Lance.” The moment he said the name he felt a burst of electricity course through his body starting at his neck.

Lance took a hesitant step away. “Hey, that crystal...it was glowing. Is that normal?”

Hunk noticed that behind Lance, Matt was grabbing Pidge by her shoulders and rocking them both violently, looking all too pleased with himself.

“Uh, I’m not too sure what it meant, but I’m sure it’s fine.”

“More than fine, I’d say.” Allura announced as she fluttered over to them. “It would seem the crystal has taken a liking to the young prince. That can only be a sign of good tidings to come.”

Hunk noticed Lance beaming up at him. “Guess that means I should stick around for a bit?”

It was almost amusing that Lance didn’t seem bothered by Allura flying over to them, but Hunk knew better than to bring up how weird this was once again. They had more serious things to consider after all.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be the best idea, Lance. You have a Kingdom to run. If you were to stay here, there would be guards everywhere looking for you.”

Lance seemed to deflate. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t run the Kingdom, I’m just heir to the throne...but there would be an uproar if I were to disappear.”

Allura lifted a hand to hide her smile. “If he has to leave in the morning, then perhaps you should enjoy the night together instead?”

“What would we do?” Hunk asked, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline.

Matt slung an arm around Lance’s shoulders the best he could before wrapping the other one around Hunk. “They could always dance? There’s plenty of room!”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m hardly dressed to go dancing. I’m still in my work clothes. It would be rude to dance with the princ-with Lance in this state.”

Allura hummed in thought before she nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”

Hunk sighed with relief.

“That’s why I will just have to make you presentable.” Allura continued cheerfully.

Before Hunk could say anything further, Allura waved her hand and Hunk was consumed in dazzling light.

When Hunk looked down, he was shocked to find his simple clothing had been replaced by a gorgeous dress. The flowing skirt seemed to shimmer like gold-dust and felt weightless when he grasped at the trailing fabric. Much to his relief it had a high, empire waist, silhouetted by an aqua silken bow. The sleeves seemed to be iridescent but caught the moonlight with as much glamour as the skirt.

As gorgeous and majestic as the dress was, it was still a dress, and he had no idea how to feel about the fact that Allura had decided to dress him up in such a way in front of the prince.

Hunk sputtered with embarrassment as he turned to Lance, apologizing that he had to witness such a display.

Lance was staring at him slack jawed, his eyes unfocused.

“Oh great!” Hunk cried out. “I broke the prince.”

Lance came back to himself, his cheeks darkened in a blush. “N-no, you look wonderful. I mean...uh. It looks pretty. Oh no. What am I supposed to say here? Uhh…”

“You could ask him to dance?” Allura answered, nonchalantly inspecting her nails. An odd gesture from the fairy queen, in Hunk’s opinion.

Blue eyes met brown ones as the men regarded one another.

Lance bowed to Hunk, offering out a hand. “Would you like to dance?”

Hunk looked at him helplessly. “There’s not even any music!”

No sooner had the words escaped him did the sound of soft stringed instruments caress his ears. When he looked over, he found the elves playing various musical instruments ranging from a cello, lute, and harp. One of them soon joined in with a flute...well...that was what it resembled.

There was something off about the instruments, and the way the elves’ fingers danced across them effortlessly made Hunk suspect they were enchanted.

“Seems like we have music now.” Lance pointed out, smiling.

“As much as I want to I... I’ve never really danced with anyone.” Hunk confessed desperately.

Lance stretched his hand out further, raising out of his bow slightly to look Hunk in the eye more easily. “I will guide you.”

Hunk bit his lip nervously. He had run out of excuses… plus it would be such a shame to turn this down now. As embarrassing as wearing a dress was, it _was_ incredibly comfortable and the atmosphere the elves had set up _was_ stunning…

He reached out and accepted the other’s outstretched hand.

Lance squeezed gently before he straightened and gave the back of Hunk’s hand a chaste kiss.

A hand went around Hunk’s waist and he jumped a little at the warmth that seeped through the dress.

“This is weird.” Hunk nearly squeaked.

Lance froze. “Do you not like it?”

Hunk considered Lance’s face as the other frowned nervously. Hunk shook his head with a smile. “No... it’s just... unexpected.”

Lance smiled happily and Hunk relaxed. He waited a moment before he began to step away in the first move of the dance. Hunk followed after him, careful not to step on his feet. It wasn’t hard to find the rhythm of the music but knowing where Lance was going to step next was proving to be a challenge.

“I think you would have more fun if you didn’t dance the entire time looking down.” Hunk heard Lance whisper to him with a chuckle.

Hunk blushed as he looked up at Lance. “Sorry.”

Lance shook his head with clear amusement. “Step forward, now back. Left, now right. Step forward, now back. Left, now right. See? You’re doing- Ouch!”

Hunk was mortified that he’d stepped on Lance’s boot. “Oh my goodness! I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine, you’re doing great.” Lance’s smile returned to his face as he replaced his hands gently in their places. “Let’s try that again?”

Hunk chanted the steps in his mind and kept a steady rhythm internally. After a time, he felt confident enough to enjoy himself.

The two grew bolder and began to add steps in their dance that the other fell in sync with. Spins, twirls, dips, everything ending with the return to the original, step forward, back, left, then right. Each one mirroring the other.

Hunk was breathless as his heart pounded in his chest. If Lance’s darkened cheeks were any indicator, he was feeling the same.

He had no idea how much time passed, it could have been minutes or hours. At one point they stopped to sit and eat some of the food that had been set out for them, but they quickly got back to dancing once they’d finished.

“You know...I would love it if you could dance with me at the castle for my coming of age ball in two days’ time.” Lance suggested softly as they slowed down, dancing around with those same simple steps they’d started off with.

Hunk looked away shyly, halting the dance. “I don’t know, it would be risky.” He bit his lip. “I would like to say something to my family though...if I could see them again.”

“I could bring them for you, if you want? Please will you at least… think on it?”

Hunk felt his stomach flip with equal parts excitement and remorse. He felt guilty about leaving everyone, even for one night, but it would be so wonderful to see his family...and to dance with Lance again.

“I will give it some thought.” Hunk promised loosely before he spun Lance around, inviting the other to start dancing once more.

They were lost in one another as they continued dancing until the sun’s rays began to peek over the horizon.

Hunk watched it, feeling peaceful in Lance’s arms until he realized what the significance of the light meant.

“Oh, no!” Hunk pulled away from the other man as if he’d been burned, looking at him helplessly. “I think you should head back.”

Lance sent him a confused look before glancing at the sun and widening his eyes in realization. When he turned back to Hunk, his expression was pained. “Why don’t you come with me? I could keep you safe in the castle!”

Hunk shook his head sadly. “I would love to.” He looked at Shay and the elves. “But I want to stay and try to lift the curse before I leave them.”

Lance’s brow furrowed, his mouth twisting angrily. “I won’t let that guy get away with this! I’ll come back with an army!”

“Whoa, whoa, hey now!” Hunk held his hands up beseechingly. “Think about it. He could turn all of them into animals as well...or worse!”

“I would gladly join the fight against this evil…uhh.”

“Zarkon.” Allura offered from behind them.

“Right. Against Zarkon.”

Hunk stood firm. “What about your soldiers? Would you risk them?”

Lance looked down, frustration evident in the way he clenched his fists at his sides and his shoulders tensed.

Hunk sighed as he stepped closer, speaking softly. “Look, I don’t want to see you get hurt. Go home, Lance.”

“And just leave you all alone out here? With that...thing trying to kill you?”

“Do you really want to help me?” Hunk asked quietly.

“Of course I do!” Lance answered desperately.

Hunk smiled. “Then go home and don’t get yourself hurt out here.”

The sun cared not for the complex emotions that were twisting the two men and heaved itself over the horizon, ignorant of the scene it dawned upon.

Hunk’s body was surrounded by light as he transformed once more.

Lance stepped towards him, reaching out helplessly, “No!”

Hunk sighed when the change was complete, lowering his head to hide his face from view. “It’s for the best.”

Lance sliced the hand that had been stretched towards Hunk through the air. “For the last time, I’m not going to just leave you. What if I come back tomorrow?”

“No... just…” Hunk suddenly felt so very tired. “I’ll be at the ball if I manage to lift the curse...just go home, Lance.”

Lance continued to look at Hunk searchingly.

“I’ll be fine.” He waded into the lake, not looking back as he started swimming out further.

Lance gave him one last longing look before announcing, “If I don’t see you then, I’ll come looking for you when I’m able to break away.”

Before Hunk could protest, the prince turned and ran off back to the entrance to the Enchanted Forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all liked today's chapter, and I'm grateful to any of you that have stuck around this long on this self indulgent work. Huge Kudos to y'all. Y'all are real ones.
> 
> Note from Beginning Note:  
> Lance is smitten with Hunk, yes. Whether that is because he associates Hunk with the sense of adventure he's longed for his entire life or not, is up for interpretation. He doesn't necessarily love Hunk, but he would certainly like to get to know him more.  
> As far as Hunk's feelings. He is essentially meeting someone he's admired for many years. His family really looks up to the royal one so for him, it's kinda like meeting uhhh.... well the prince lmao
> 
> Anyhoo, that is all. Just a disclaimer that the slow burn still applies however it may seem v.v
> 
> As always:  
> See you next Thursday!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> _“No... just…” Hunk suddenly felt so very tired. “I’ll be at the ball if I manage to lift the curse...just go home, Lance.”_
> 
> _Lance continued to look at Hunk searchingly._
> 
> _“I’ll be fine.” He waded into the lake, not looking back as he started swimming out further._
> 
> _Lance gave him one last longing look before announcing, “If I don’t see you then, I’ll come looking for you when I’m able to break away.”_
> 
> _Before Hunk could protest, the prince turned and ran off back to the entrance to the Enchanted Forest._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be a double update since we weren't able to update last Thursday v.v
> 
> Hope you enjoy ;)

It wasn’t until the sun set once more and everyone returned to their human forms that Coran came tumbling through the woods into the clearing at Swan Lake. Hunk startled at the sound before he caught sight of the large book in Coran’s hand. Despite himself, Hunk felt a spark of hope.

“I found it,” Coran cheered, revealing the Book of Forest Lore with a flourish. “I knew it was only a matter of time!”

Allura fluttered over to him with a bright smile. “Well done, Coran.”

“Where was it?” Shay asked, trotting behind the fairy queen.

Coran rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly as he answered. “Well it was the strangest thing. I was just thinking of taking a break and when I looked at my seat cushion, I discovered it was hiding the book underneath! I grabbed it and rushed to get over here as soon as I could!”

Coran offered the book to Hunk who accepted it gratefully, nodding his head in thanks before focusing on its cover. There were odd tendrils sealing the book shut.

“How do I open it?” He asked, running a hand along the grooves.

“Presumably the crystal.” Shay offered quietly, her eyes never leaving the book.

“Ah! Right.” Hunk felt a little silly for not realizing that. He lifted the cord from around his neck and held it over the lock. Once close enough, the crystal flared to life, glowing so brightly Hunk had to squint against the glare. The tendrils shriveled from the light until it could be opened.

He opened it to the first page and sighed with relief that there was an index in a language he could actually read. He turned to the appropriate page and read the passage out loud.

“It says, ‘The one who frees the magic crystal will share a love so true… no darkness could stand against its purity…’ Does this seem a bit, uh, weird to you guys?”

Pidge leaned forward, her voice shaky from excitement. “No, it obviously means the prince, right?”

“What?” Hunk wasn’t too proud to admit his voice may have cracked.

Shay leaned closer to the book, having continued reading ahead of everyone. “Oh no... there’s a ‘however’.” She waited for everyone’s attention before continuing. “‘If, however the crystal bearer’s true love professes their love to another the crystal will lose its power.”

Everyone’s faces turned grim… with the exception of Hunk, who was still sputtering. “Lance is not my true love. He can’t be! I just met him! That stuff only happens in books.” He looked around to find everyone looking disappointed before he sighed. “I will admit that Lance is very nice though.”

“He’s our best bet, for sure...unless you have someone else you think might be your true love?” Matt asked.

Hunk shook his head. “Lance is the first person I have ever felt anything like this for. I don’t think it’s true love...but there is something there. I won’t deny that.”

Matt reached out, grabbing his sister’s hand and beaming at her with excitement.

Allura was next to speak. “Hunk, I think it would be a good idea to attend the ball Lance invited you to.”

“But...I still don’t know how to dance. Sure, I was able to manage with just Lance, but I just know I am going to make a fool of myself and of Lance if I try to dance with him at my current… ability.”

“Or lack thereof.” Matt whispered to Pidge who elbowed him in the ribs as punishment.

“We could teach you?” Allura offered.

The fairy and elves gasped, turning to stare wide-eyed at the fairy queen, Coran was the only one to speak, “Allura! I haven’t seen you dance since you were a child.”

“Fifty years is young, but hardly a child. I may not have had any reason to dance in recent years, but I still remember the steps.” Allura laughed as her feet finally touched the ground.

She waved a hand and the elegant ruffles of her dress thinned out until they were a flowy skirt that rippled with the slightest movement, making it look like shimmering water. The fabric seemed to change colors as the light of the moon shone off of it, further cementing its likeness to water.

“What do you say, Hunk? Care to learn how to dance with a queen?”

Hunk’s jaw dropped. How was he supposed to deny a fairy queen? Was that allowed? Was that even a thing he could do? Not that he wanted to, of course.

“I... thank you.” Hunk remembered his manners and bowed. “I would be honored.”

Allura laughed while tapping his shoulder as a sign for him to straighten up. “Let’s get to it then!”

She assumed the leading position and smiled encouragingly at Hunk’s flustered grin.

She used a little bit of magic to help Hunk along, not too much, she didn’t have that much to spare after all, but enough to help guide his feet away from her own.

When Hunk realized he was getting a bit of assistance he grew more confident in his footwork and began to smile happily as Allura lead them around the clearing. After a time, Allura pulled her magic back and let Hunk dance on his own.

She smiled deviously when Hunk continued improving and growing bolder.

“Why are you smiling?” Hunk asked nervously.

“No reason. You’re a very good dancer, Hunk.” Allura praised.

Hunk snorted. “Only because of your magic.”

“Really?” Allura hummed in thought. “I released my magic a while ago.”

They continued dancing as Hunk processed her words.

He looked up, brown eyes wide with surprise. “I’m dancing?”

Allura nodded with a smile.

Hunk smiled, feeling his confidence grow. “I’m dancing!”

The fairy queen laughed as she lifted the both of them into the air for a moment before dropping them back down gently.

“I forgot how fun it was to dance.” She admitted quietly. The air seemed to shine around them as fireflies danced, and for a moment everything was calm.

_____

Their happy moment was shattered as a screech pierced the air, before anyone could react to the threat, Zarkon swooped down, plucking Coran from the ground.

Coran’s cries filled the air as he struggled against the talons buried in his shoulders, the Book of Forest Lore clutched tightly in his hand.

“Coran!” Allura lifted into the air, pulling her hands back preparing to launch a spell. The light faded from her hands and she dropped to the ground heavily. Weakened, she fell to her knees with a curse before looking up and reaching for her abducted friend, sweat gathered at her hairline.

She slammed her fist on the grass below. “No!” Hunk felt his eyes water at how broken Allura sounded.

She chastised herself for having used her magic for something so simple. She could have taught Hunk normally, instead she’d used her powers to speed things along. If she’d saved up her powers, she could have saved Coran.

She felt a warm hand gently touch her shoulder. When she looked up, she found Hunk bent over and offering a hand for her to stand. The elves and Shay were all stood behind him, watching but not intervening.

“We’ll get him back, Allura.” Hunk promised.

The fairy squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a painful throb in her chest. Here she was, queen of the fairies, being comforted by a human. When she opened her eyes, they were steeled with newfound resolve.

“Zarkon won’t get away with this.” She promised.

Hunk was able to nod encouragingly, the sun’s rays coming from behind him and radiating like some otherworldly halo before he was transformed into a swan, the elves’ transformations following suit.

“Well...this just got a lot harder.” Matt remarked.

Hunk wilted with disappointment for a second before he lifted his head and puffed up his chest bravely. “I am still willing to go after him. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

Pidge and Matt piled in beside him, the squirrels were both much smaller than the swan.

“We’ll help too.” Pidge announced.

“Just tell us when.” Matt finished.

Shay bowed her head. “I too will join the fight.”

Allura felt her throat close as tears pricked her eyes. “Thanks, everyone.” She wiped her eyes and her posture straightened regally. “However, I think Hunk should lead us into this battle.”

“What?” Hunk felt his feathers fluff from the shock.

Everyone turned to him readily, no hesitation.

“Why me?” Hunk squeaked.

Allura smiled. “Hunk, we have been living under Zarkon’s tyranny for years now, unable to do anything. Ever since you’ve been with us, we have come closer than I could have ever hoped for.” She knelt down to be on the same level as Hunk. “I feel with you leading the way, our victory will be certain.”

Hunk looked down, feeling his confidence wavering. “I guess… I do have the crystal.”

Allura shook her head. “The crystal chose you, Hunk. For what it’s worth, I believe there is no better person the crystal could have picked.”

Hunk was floored. “I’ve never saved anyone before!”

Shay stepped forward. “You saved me from a hunter’s bow. Do I not count?”

“That’s different.” Hunk argued. “I didn’t think the hunter would do more than yell at me for that. Zarkon could kill me!”

“Yet you were the first one to offer to help save Coran.” Allura pointed out.

“I’ve never led anyone before! What if I send you all to your doom?”

Pidge placed a tiny paw on Hunk’s wing. “That you realize this is dangerous makes me trust you’ll make the best choice where that won’t happen.”

“Besides!” Matt interjected. “Zarkon’s already turned us into animals and he can’t _really_ kill us, what more can he do?”

Hunk felt a little more confident.

“So, Hunk, what should we do?”

Hunk looked around him at the small group of allies he had, each one looking to him for guidance. He inhaled before he nodded. “Okay...here’s what I’m thinking.”

_____

Zarkon smirked as he tossed the Book of Forest Lore onto the ground. “Make the crystal bearer’s true love confess to another. How cliché. I have a fairly good idea about who this ‘true love’ might be considering he’s the newest part of this equation.”

Coran shook his fist at Zarkon. “Whatever plan you’re concocting in that head of yours will never work! Hunk’s true love has eyes only for him.”

Zarkon’s smirk grew into a malicious grin. “That is what I am planning on.” He turned his gaze towards Keith, who was watching them curiously through the bars of his cage.

“Keith, what if I said I would grant you the thing you desired most in exchange for a small favor?”

Keith raised a brow skeptically. “What’s the favor?”

“All you need to do is get the prince to confess his love to you.”

Coran waved his hands around dramatically. “Why? Whoever said it was the prince? Did I say that? That is the most ridiculous notion!” Seeing his words had no effect dissuading Zarkon he turned to Keith. “Please don’t do this! The fate of everyone in the Enchanted Forest is in your hands! If the crystal loses its power, then we don’t have a single hope of defeating Zarkon!”

Keith glared at Coran. “Why should I care about them? I’ve been trapped here my entire life, and no one has cared about me. Why should it be any different for them?” He looked up and felt his resolve waver for a moment at what he was about to do. “It’s time I helped myself.”

“Is that a deal?” Zarkon asked patiently.

Keith felt a sense of self-loathing as he agreed. “I’ll do it.”

Coran sighed in defeat, his face falling into his hands. Zarkon’s grin softened slightly and he nodded.

“But how am I to fool the prince? He obviously loves this...Hunk person.”

In Zarkon’s hand appeared a necklace. “Wear this.” He ordered, infusing his magic into it. “With it, you will appear to the prince as his ‘true love’.”

Keith reached out to accept the necklace, his hand hovering over it when he asked, “All I have to do is make him confess to me and then I’m free?” He asked, his stomach twisting into guilty knots, knowing that he was acting in a way that placed him at Zarkon’s level... but at least he would finally be free.

“Do this, and you will be free of me forever.” Zarkon assured.

Keith sucked in a breath and finally grabbed the necklace before placing it around his neck.

“Your plan will never work!” Coran challenged bravely.

Zarkon looked down at Coran bound on the floor. “Bold words from such an insignificant worm.” He raised a hand, dark magic pulsing before hitting Coran with its malevolent energy.

Keith shrank from the sight and turned his head so he wouldn’t have to bear witness to the brave elf’s fate.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:  
>  _“Your plan will never work!” Coran challenged bravely._
> 
> _Zarkon looked down at Coran bound on the floor. “Bold words from such an insignificant worm.” He raised a hand, dark magic pulsing before hitting Coran with its malevolent energy._
> 
> _Keith shrank from the sight and turned his head so he wouldn’t have to bear witness to the brave elf’s fate._

Hunk may have been putting on a brave front, but inside he was terrified. The only thing that kept him from being paralyzed with fear was the overwhelming desire to save Coran as well as the comfort of knowing the crystal would protect him.

They were currently standing near the edge of the gaping chasm that separated Zarkon’s castle from the surrounding land.

Hunk swallowed thickly, peeking over the edge. “That’s a long way down.”

Allura stepped forward. “Hunk, I’ve noticed that you are a nervous flyer, but it looks like that’s the only way we are going to be able to get in.

Hunk felt his heart drop. “I was afraid you’d say that.” He looked up at the castle and felt a wave of dizziness at the thought of how high up he’d have to fly. He shook his head and turned to look back at Allura again. “But I can try.”

Shay nodded her head encouragingly. “That is all anyone can ask of you, Hunk.”

Pidge looked around at everyone. “Okay, so...what? Hunk flies up there and saves Coran, then what?”

“We need to be prepared for pursuers. I’m afraid Hunk is not strong enough at flying to be able to bully any enemies he encounters out of the sky.” Allura pointed out.

“Oh no.” Hunk mumbled weakly. He hadn’t thought about any of Zarkon’s soldiers that might be lurking.

Shay noticed his unease and pressed her snout into his side gently. “You’ll be fine, Hunk. I believe in you...we all do.”

“Yeah!” Matt cheered. “You’re way bigger than any of those mean old ravens!”

Hunk still felt a little unsure. “I guess.” He looked up at the group surrounding him, trying not to think about how sharp the ravens’ beaks were. “What are you guys going to do?”

Pidge smirked. “We’re going to prepare traps for anyone that follows you.”

Hunk felt a chill run down his spine at the manic chuckle that came from the squirrel’s mouth after her statement.

“Alright, Hunk. Are you ready?” Allura asked.

Hunk momentarily closed his eyes to steel his nerves the best he could. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

He sucked in a breath before taking a few steps back and flapped his wings a few times to test them. When he felt he was ready, he set off in an awkward run. Just before the drop off, he felt himself lift from the ground.

“Don’t look down. Don’t look down.” Hunk chanted to himself as he flew straight ahead. When he noticed that there was a large opening in the castle, he slowly turned to head in that direction.

He didn’t get very far before three ravens charged towards him threateningly.

“Oh shit.” He squeezed his eyes shut as he tentatively flew a little higher, hoping to avoid them.

When he reopened his eyes, he saw the ravens were rapidly gaining on him. His heart nearly froze when one of them tucked into a dive heading right for him. While it didn’t hit him, the sudden shift in wind made him lose his balance.

In a panic, Hunk flapped his wings and overcompensated, sending him spiraling downward with a terrified scream caught in his throat. He continued to drop as he struggled to right himself.

He was panting heavily, heart pounding in his chest, when he managed to level out. He watched the other two ravens tuck their wings to make a dive at him again.

Thinking quickly, Hunk dropped below the fog for cover. While he wasn’t able to see anything, he knew the ravens wouldn’t be able to see either.

When he deemed it safe enough to emerge, hoping that they had forgotten about him and moved on, he surged upwards out of the fog towards the top of the castle.

His eyes widened when he was greeted by the three ravens waiting for him above the fog. His wings knocked into the ravens’ smaller bodies, sending them spinning out of control and falling into the fog.

“Sorry!” He called over his shoulder without looking. He knew how terrifying it was to fall and didn’t wish that experience upon anyone.

Hunk continued flying to the top of the castle where he’d spied an opening, figuring that Zarkon must have used it as a landing pad when he was in his large bat form.

When he made it to the top, Hunk glided along the hallway, grateful it didn’t twist too much, until he reached the archway that led into the main room where he landed clumsily.

Brown eyes peeked around but didn’t see anyone.

Hunk sighed with relief before he began calling out for Coran as loud as he dared. “Coran, where are you?”

“Over here!” Coran replied in a small voice.

Alarmed, Hunk followed the sound. “Coran?”

“I’m in here!”

Hunk waddled over to a knot in the wood and discovered a hole. Inside was a worm with a large mustache...it was very disconcerting.

“Oh no! Coran!” Hunk leaned down to be at eye level with the worm. “What happened?”

“He got me, the bastard.” Coran lamented.

“Are you okay?” Hunk asked as Coran climbed up onto his bill. It felt gross as Coran slithered on it, but Hunk suffered through it for his friend.

“I will be as soon as we get out of here. Thanks for rescuing me, by the way.”

Hunk smiled, and Coran saw it in his eyes. “Of course! You’re my friend, Coran. I had to try.”

A voice interrupted the scene with an ominous warning. “I would hurry to the ball. Zarkon’s got something awful planned.”

Coran perked up. “Oh, right! About that, Zarkon read the book! He knows about the crystal’s weakness!”

“Which is why I would hurry and get out of here.” The voice continued before a white rat stepped from the shadows.

Figuring the rat was the source of the voice, Hunk gave a nod of acknowledgement. “Thank you.”

The rat’s brow furrowed, it obviously hadn’t been expecting gratitude.

Hunk turned, Coran on top of his head, before he made his way to the exit. He didn’t see any more ravens, but that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking.

He made sure Coran was secure before he took off from the opening at the top of the castle.

He was promptly ambushed by the same three ravens he’d knocked out of the sky from before.

“Don’t you guys ever give up?” Hunk cried out as he dove down as quickly as he dared. The boost in speed made him reach the spot where his friends hid much sooner than it took to reach the top of the castle.

He flew low to the ground in the hopes that everyone’s traps would strike more easily.

Pidge struck first. After Hunk flew by, she chucked a pinecone while Matt threw a large acorn. Both objects connected, stunning two of the birds. The last one was taken out by Shay who, at the last moment, ducked her head so the bird would crash into her horn.

With all of his pursuers dispatched, Hunk landed safely on the ground and waddled back to his friends.

“That was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever had to do.” Hunk announce, panting.

“I’m afraid it’s not over yet.” Coran reported.

Allura scooped Coran into her hand delicately. “What do you mean?”

The worm turned to the fairy holding him. “Zarkon is plotting to make the prince confess his love to another!”

Pidge snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Coran shook his head. “He put a glamour on his prisoner to make him look like Hunk. He promised to grant him freedom in exchange for his help.”

Hunk looked up at the worm in Allura’s hand with confusion. “What prisoner?”

Coran seemed to look up contemplatively, Hunk couldn’t really tell from so far away though. “I’m not too sure… but he did look familiar.”

Allura spoke up before Coran could go off on a tangent trying to determine the prisoner’s identity. “Then there’s no time to lose. We must hurry!”

_____

Lance paced nervously while he waited for Hunk. He really hoped that the other had broken the spell, but he knew that wasn’t likely.

“Lance? What are you doing over here pacing in the dark by yourself?”

Lance turned to his mother anxiously. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“A future bride?”

Lance stopped pacing. Would he be willing to marry Hunk? He realized in that moment, that he would be willing to spend a thousand lifetimes with the selfless and bright young man, having countless adventures together. Whether it was defeating evil forces or taking on ruling the kingdom together. Did that equate to love… he hoped to find that out someday.

Lance smiled brightly. “I suppose I am.”

His mother’s face split into a grin so wide he was sure that it made her cheeks hurt. “Lance I’m so happy for you!” She grabbed her son’s hands and squeezed them with anticipation. “I want you to introduce us the moment she arrives!”

“Actually… he’s a guy.” Lance admitted.

His mother paused before smiling gently. “Then he must be someone extra special to make you fall so hard for him.”

“You’re okay with this?” Lance asked incredulously.

“Like I’ve always said. I just want you to be happy with someone. Find your true love, one might say.” The queen laughed.

Lance kissed his mother’s cheek chastely before whispering, “Thank you.”

Lance’s mother giggled. “What for?”

“For being the best mother ever.” Lance answered earnestly.

His mother smacked his arm lightly as her cheeks darkened. “Oh please. You’re worse than your father. Such a shame you fell for a man, your charm would have swept nearly any woman off her feet.”

The two shared a laugh before Lance’s mother left her son to see to the guests.

Now more than ever, Lance wanted Hunk to be able to make it that night. He didn’t think his mother would take kindly to Lance’s first love leaving him alone on his big night, no matter the reason.

_____

“Absolutely not! If you go into the human realm in your current form, you are sure to be shot down the minute you arrive!” Shay challenged.

“I have to take that risk. Besides, when Lance sees me, he’ll realize that he’s being tricked!”

Shay couldn’t deny the truth of Hunk’s statement. “I still don’t like it.”

“I must admit, I also have my reservations.” Allura announced quietly.

“I know I’m not that great at flying,” Hunk pointed out.

“I’ll say.” Pidge muttered before Matt shushed her.

“But I have to try. This is our only shot at fixing this whole mess.”

Shay stepped closer and nudged Hunk with her snout gently. “Be careful, Hunk.”

Hunk nodded as he pressed his head to Shay’s soft muzzle. “I will.”

With that, Hunk set off for the human realm.

At first, he stayed low to the ground and had to deal with avoiding the numerous trees. Taking a chance, he mustered the courage to fly over the trees.

It would be a long journey, approximately an hour to his village on foot and a day’s walk until he’d reach the castle, but flying would hopefully cut down on the time it would take.

He could do this.

_____

Lance was still anxiously waiting. It didn’t help that his mother kept fluttering around him waiting for Lance’s future spouse to show up and kept asking if any man that stepped in was ‘the one’. Some of the suggestions were a little insulting, honestly.

“Has he shown up?” His mother asked for the umpteenth time.

Lance sagged. “Not yet.”

Lance’s mother hummed. “Well...until he arrives, it’s rude to ignore all of these lovely young ladies. Why not dance with a few in the meantime?”

Lance turned to his mother with a cheeky grin and offered his arm. “May I have this dance?”

His mother clucked her tongue at him. “You are incorrigible.”

Regardless, she accepted his arm and the two began to dance.

_____

Zarkon pulled Keith along beside him. The young man’s eyes widened as they took in the room full of people, and colors, and _noise_. It was all too much after being kept in near solitude his entire life.

Zarkon’s grip tightened and Keith returned to himself.

“Don’t speak. The glamour only changes your appearance. If you speak, he’ll know you aren’t Hunk.”

“I... I think I’ve changed my mind.” Keith replied nervously, looking around at all the people swirling around dancing and feeling overwhelmed once more.

Zarkon glared darkly. “Just dance with the prince and do as he says. It’ll be easy.”

Before Keith could say anything else, Lance and his mother approached them. Zarkon gave Keith’s arm one last painful squeeze before he released him with a smile.

“Ahh, Prince Lance, so good to see you! And you are looking as lovely as always tonight, your highness.”

“Who’re you?” Lance asked when he somehow managed to pull his eyes away from Hunk’s radiance, even if the other seemed a little nervous. However, something didn’t sit right in his gut about the man that had walked in with Hunk.

While the face looked eerily similar, the features were off just enough that Lance couldn’t identify the man in his mind accurately.

He eventually decided the sinking feeling must have been jealousy and ignored it.

“A friend.” Zarkon answered after a moment of hesitation, apparently having noticed Lance’s misgivings.

Lance turned back to Hunk with a smile. “I’m glad you were able to make it! I was worried you wouldn’t be able to uhh…” He cast a look at Zarkon before he changed his sentence. “Able to get away.”

Keith nodded quietly with a nervous smile, his gaze flicking to Zarkon before returning to the happy prince before him.

Zarkon smiled. “Well, I’ll let you two lovebirds be.”

Lance blushed before he pulled Hunk a few steps from his mother and Hunk’s friend. “Would you share a dance with me?”

Keith opened his mouth to admit that he didn’t know how before he snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

Lance led Keith around the dance floor gracefully, Keith stumbling along and trying not to step on the prince’s toes.

His quick reflexes allowed him to follow along without incident, but he felt very awkward the entire time.

“I really am so happy I got to see you tonight. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to break the curse…” Lance twirled them around before admitting, “I want you to know I was serious about going out to visit you if you hadn’t shown up.”

Keith nodded absently while he continued watching their feet.

Lance chuckled. “Did you forget how to dance already?”

He used a finger to gently coax Hunk’s face up.

Keith felt his skin prickle where Lance had touched under his chin and his cheeks reddened from the close proximity of the other. He was rapidly reaching his limit for how much he could take.

Besides, seeing the pure affection Lance held in his gaze made Keith’s gut twist guiltily all over again and he very much wanted to return his gaze back to their feet.

Lance looked away shyly, his hand returning to Hunk’s waist. “I…I only just realized it recently. My mother brought it to my attention actually...that I... I really…

Keith felt his gut wrench. This was it. This was all he had to do. Then he would finally be free.

_____

Hunk suddenly felt so drained. He hoped that he wasn’t too late. He could still feel the crystal’s power…but it was weakening rapidly.

_____

Keith lost his nerve. He turned away from Lance and ran off before stopping a few feet away. He felt Zarkon’s gaze boring holes into him as he turned back to the prince.

At Lance’s confusion, Keith gave an apologetic smile before he mumbled a quiet, “Sorry.”

Lance thought Hunk was acting off, but his nervousness about confessing prevented him from thinking it was anything other than Hunk feeling as nervous as he was.

With that said, when Hunk had pulled away, Lance felt all of the bravado he’d managed to cobble together disappear.

They stood there regarding each other before Hunk gave a defeated sigh and hesitantly offered his arm. Lance accepted it and they continued dancing.

It was a while before Lance found a way to confess again. “You know… I promised my mother I would find a potential spouse tonight, and... I try not to break my promises.”

Keith nodded his head sadly, looking into Lance’s spellbound eyes, trying to decide if his freedom was worth feeling this rotten inside.

Lance took a steadying breath before pulling Hunk close. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I love-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the cliffhanger huehuehue. The opportunity was too tempting to resist.
> 
> Will he? Won't he?
> 
> Find out next update! xD
> 
> Also, if that last bit was confusing there about who was who, please let me know and I will go through and add little marks around Keith-glamoured-as-Hunk to indicate that he's not actually Hunk. As it is, I'm just trying to get these updates out as soon as I can and I don't have the strength to do so at the moment I'm posting this orz


End file.
